The Things They Say....

Ella: Mom, I feel like a grown up when I clean Sawyer's spit up.

McKenna: Mom, is (in a whisper) sexy a bad word?

While walking down a street lined with cars, Ella spotted a bumble bee yellow, convertible corvette and said, "Mom, that's the kind of car I want when I'm a grown up."

The Things They Say....

Usually, The Things They Say is dedicated to the silly and embarrassing things that my children say. However, this first one is from a total stranger...

Phone ring...

Me: Hello
Lady: May I speak with Sawyer?
Me: Um....this is Sawyer's mom?
Lady: Well, I need to speak directly with Sawyer.
Me: (after much hesitation)...Well, I don't think he'll say much. He's only 7 weeks old.

Needless to say, she was embarrassed. It was the clinic calling to confirm Sawyer Dr. Appt and then to confirm our contact info. Crazy!

Ella: (to her friend) My dad is older but my mom acts more like a grown up.


Ella: Mom, I'm going to be a pop star when I grown up.
McKenna: Mom will never let you do that.

The Things They Say

McKenna:
Mom, I know you are supposed to get married and then have a baby. But, can a woman's BODY have a baby before she is married?

Ella:
Mom, what's 5 plus 4?

Me:
(Holding up 4 fingers on one hand and 5 on the other) Well, let's count my fingers. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 4 fingers plus 5 fingers equals 9 fingers.

Ella:
Yeah, well, I've known that since birth.

The Things They Say

McKenna
"Mom, what's a zygote?"

"I think we should go to Paris"

Ella
"Mom, why do we put soap on our hands if we're just gonna wash it off?"

"You look very fashionable today."

"When I grow up, I'm gonna be an artist. Papa's gonna frame my pictures and we'll sell them at garage sales."

Arthur
"Did you eat any Bonbons today?"

The Things They Say

Ella: "Mom, how many times did you marry?"

Me: Knowing that she means 'how many times did you get married?' but not knowing why she would ask such a thing. So, I waited without responding.

Ella: Looking very lost in thought, "Oh, you have two kids so you got married two times!!!"

The Things They Say

While taking a bath in mom and dad's jacuzzi tub, with jets running and soap bubbling everywhere, McKenna leaned back in the tub. She lazily looked up at me and said, "This is the life!"

The things they say...

...can really crack me up! While in the car driving to preschool, Ella asked, "Mom?"

"Yes, Ella."

"Would you rather be eaten by a tiger or just be dead?"

The Things They Say...

...sometimes tick me off!

McKenna: "Mom, is today a proper noun?"

Me: "Nope. Today, tomorrow, and yesterday are common nouns. We don't capitalize them (figuring that's really what she wanted to know). Friday is a proper noun because it's a specific day."

McKenna: "But, Mrs. Izzy capitalizes it. So, it IS a proper noun."

Mom: "When it is at the beginning of a sentence it should be capitalized. It isn't a proper noun, though."

McKenna: While shaking her head up and down she said very matter of fact, "Mrs. Izzy capitalizes it. It's a proper noun."

Me: "I'm a grown-up, so I know a thing or two about nouns. Today is a common noun. Not only am I a grown-up; I went to college, also. Today is a common noun. Not only did I go to college, I studied teaching the parts of speech. I have a REAL license from the state of Minnesota that says that I know how to teach kids the differences between common and proper nouns."
For those of you who may not know, I am a Language Arts teacher by profession.

McKenna: "Yeah, well, Mrs. Izzy is 35. I am capitalizing it in the middle of my sentence."

ADDED NOTE:
Since this conversation McKenna has had me second guessing myself on common and proper nouns! The stinker! I even had to call someone to confirm my position on the difference between common and proper nouns. Guess that says more about me than McKenna!

The Things They Say

While walking into Petco, a local pet and supply store, Ella explained to me how strong of a desire she had.

Ella: "Mom, I really want a kitten."

Me: "We already have a cat, Ella."

Ella: "As much as I have Jesus in my heart, that's how bad I want a kitten! Really, Mom."



On another occassion, when she was quite happy with me--

Ella: "Mom, your the bestest mom. Even better than Sophie's mom."

The Things They Say

McKenna often tries to "mother" her sister (or anyone else within a stone's throw). She'll repeat my words with a "mother" tone in her voice. She'll quickly remind Ella of what she should or shouldn't be doing. Generally, my response is this, "McKenna, you are not her mother. You are not in charge."

Today McKenna responded with this, "I wish I were in charge, for just one day."

Some more of the things they say

McKenna has been asking lots of questions about Native Americans. Here 's a sample of one of our cnversations:

1. Mom, how do Native Americans go potty?

My response: Just like we do, of course. In a toilet in their bathroom.

2. Mom, (looking at me like I am stupid, stressing and elongating each syllable) they live in tee pees, ya know. They don't have bathrooms.

The things they say....

I was upstairs and the girls were downstairs with Daddy. I heard some yelling from Ella, "You messed it up!"

So, I walked down and found Ella in the bathroom, looking in the mirror rubbing water on her hair. She looked very perturbed.

"Ella, are you fixing your hair?" I asked.

"Yes!"

She walked out of the bathroom saying, "I want to look beautiful and I don't want anyone to mess it up!"

The Things They Say....

The weather here has been pretty random over the past 2 weeks. Most days it is between 32 degrees and 45 degrees, dropping lower at night. It has been a bit more on the sunny side. There are small, teeny-tiny, signs that Spring is coming. However, today was a different story. Windchills below zero and actual temperature resting at a big ZERO degrees. It's March!!!!

This morning we ran to the van. Once we were all settled I said, "BUURRRR! IT'S TOO COLD!"

"I thought the coldest days of winter were over mommy?" McKenna needed to interject her 2 cents.

"Well, Spring is a big trick, if you ask me. One day it's warm and the next day it's cold."

Ella looked out the van window casually and said, "I fink (think) da (the) Devil did it."

An interview with my children:

A few things you should know before reading this:

Ella was playing dress up while answering this.

McKenna over thought each answer. Our family's word for cuddle is "snoogle."

1. What is something I always say to you?

E:I love you

M:

2. What makes me happy?

E:McKenna and Me

M:your favorite candy

3. What makes me sad?

E: when you don't have us

M:when we don't listen

4. How do I make you laugh?

E: do silly faces and give us the "look"

M:tell me jokes and tickling

5. What do you think I was like as a child?

E:I bet you would have a summer dress and straight hair and walk through the apple orchard

M:I don't know

6. How old am I?

E:7

M: 31

7. How tall am I?

E: you don't look so tall

M:I don't know how many inches

8. What is my favorite thing to do?

E:clean

M:go to WI Dells and visit with your friends

9. What do I do when you're not around?

E:sad

M:visit with your friends

10. If I become famous, what will it be for?

E:being graceful

M:jumping

11. What am I really good at?

E:teaching us

M:snoogling

12. What am I not really good at?

E:going under the table

M:don't know

13. What is my job?

E:to clean up

M:teaching

14. What is my favorite food?

E: vegetables and fruit

M: fruit, vegetables, potatoes, tacos

15. What makes you proud of me?

E:I don't know

M:I don't know

16. If I were a cartoon character, who would I be?

E: Jessica

M: Isa the Iguana

17. What do you and I do together?

E: hug and snoogle

M: color and play games

18. How are we the same?

E: we have brown hair and we both have skin;

M: we both have blue eyes

19. How are you and I different?

E: we don't have the same underwear

M: you are big and I am small

20. How do you know that I love you?

E: I'm naked....because I'm special

M: because we snoogle together

21. Where is my favorite place to go?

E: stores

M: shopping